Fayette County jail demotes captain accused of sexually harassing employee
A former captain at the Fayette County Detention was demoted last month after an investigation revealed he had sexually harassed a female subordinate.
The employee filed two complaints against the former captain, Roger Meadows. The complaints made six separate allegations, including that he grabbed the subordinate’s waist and commented on her appearance and relationships, according to records obtained through Kentucky Open Records Law.
Lexington’s human resources department substantiated five of those allegations in an investigation, said Jacob Keeton, an aide to Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton.
Keeton would not identify which of the specific allegations were substantiated.
The Herald-Leader does not typically identify victims of sexual harassment.
What the complaints allege
The complaints were filed in December 2024, and Meadows was demoted about six months later, records show.
Because the claims were substantiated, Meadows did not complete his “probationary period” as captain.
The woman alleged Meadows grabbed her by the waist in front of coworkers. She said Meadows rubbed her back, and the woman shrugged him off.
In another instance, the woman was sent to replace another officer in a room full of men. Meadows said, “Why send a female to a male unit when there is a room full of males?” according to the complaint obtained through open records requests.
When the woman walked away, Meadows said to another officer, “I see why you broke up with her,” the complaint says.
“I was offended and he was interfering in personal business that did not pertain to my work duties,” the woman wrote.
Another time, an inmate was caught masturbating toward the woman. When other staff arrived, Meadows said to the woman, “You’re going to have to start dressing down.”
Meadows made the same comment in front of another woman officer.
The woman said she was scared to speak up for so long because she did not want to face retaliation.
Meadow’s accuser resigned from the jail in January.
Chief of Fayette Community Corrections Scott Colvin said community corrections has a “high expectation for ethical conduct” and the departments take the safety and well-being of employees very seriously.
“We investigate all allegations and complaints thoroughly,” Colvin said in a statement issued through Keeton’s office. “There are consequences for those who violate our policies. In this case our Division of Human Resources led the investigation, as is customary.”
Just a few weeks after Meadows was demoted, a former jail officer sued several of her former colleagues and supervisors in a separate case, claiming racial discrimination and a hostile work environment.
This story was originally published July 21, 2025 at 12:13 PM.
